Sony is one of the few laptop manufacturers which is obsessed with the overall quality of their laptops. Unlike companies such as HP, Toshiba or even Lenovo, Sony doesn’t even make a “budget” model. You won’t find any $399 stripped-down Sony Vaio products at your local Best Buy. This commitment to quality allowed Sony to rank high in the SmidgenPC Laptop Brand Guide. Sony’s laptops all have a high level of initial quality and also are among the most reliable laptops you can buy.
With that said, Sony is like any company in that it has some products which are better than others. This guide rounds up the three best Sony laptops. These Sony laptops cover a range of prices and sizes, but they have been ranked as the best Sony laptops because they excel in the segments where they compete. If you’re thinking purchasing a Sony laptop, these laptops are a good place to start.
Sony Vaio CW Series
One of Sony’s least expensive and best laptops, the 14 inch Sony Vaio CW is on the fence between an ultraportable laptop and a mainstream laptop. The Sony Vaio CW is not super-slim, but is never the less thin and very attractive to look at. Its 14 inch screen and small frame makes it easy to carry around, but the laptop’s weight of about five pounds is a bit hefty. The Sony Vaio CW’s performance is 100% mainstream thanks to a Core i3 processor which is, in most incarnations, backed up by 4GB of RAM and Nvidia 310M mobile graphics. .
Those who enjoy the occasional video game should keep an eye out for the less common models which feature 330M mobile graphics. When equipped in this way, the Sony Vaio CW becomes Sony’s best laptop for portable gaming. There are also variations of the Sony Vaio CW which come equipped with Blu Ray drives. Because the Sony Vaio CW has HDMI out, this laptop can actually double as a Blu Ray player.
Sony Vaio F Series
The Sony Vaio F Series is a large, 16.4 inch desktop replacement and multimedia laptop which has just about every feature that you could imagine. Even the most basic F series laptops come equipped with a Core i7 720QM processor, 4GB of RAM and Nvidia 310M graphics. This makes it one of Sony’s most powerful laptops. It is also the best Sony laptop for multimedia thanks to the large, brilliant 1600×900 display and a Blu Ray player which comes standard.
In addition to performance, the Sony Vaio F series throws in some luxury features. This includes a full size backlit keyboard which includes a full sized numpad. The keyboard is the typical large, well spaced island style found on all Sony laptops and is easily the best keyboard you’ll find besides those provided by Lenovo. At a weight of over 6 pounds, the Sony Vaio F series is not the best Sony laptop when it comes to portability, but the F series does feel extremely solid. Prices of the F series start around $1199.
Sony Vaio Z Series
While small, inexpensive netbooks and ultraportables are the trend, there are still premium ultraportable laptops available. One of the best is the Sony Vaio Z series, a 13 inch ultraportable which takes no prisoners. Although slimmer than most other products on the market, the Sony Vaio Z series has performance features you’d expect in a much larger system. This includes a Core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM, a 120GB solid state hard drive and switchable Nvidia 330M graphics. The Sony Vaio Z, despite its size, is one of the best Sony laptops for performance.
The Sony Vaio Z also features a backlit keyboard and a stunning, 1600×900 resolution display – among the highest resolutions you’ll find on a 13 inch laptop. The Sony Vaio Z is also built from very solid materials. This Z isn’t quite in the same league as a Lenovo X300, but it is very close, and is by far more durable than any sub-$1000 dollar laptop. Of course, the lack of compromises in Sony Vaio Z drives up the price, so you’ll be paying around $1899 for a basic version. The price is worthwhile, however – the Z is not only one of the best Sony laptops. It is one of the best ultraportables, period.
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